1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to business models, and more particularly, to telecommunication and advertising business models and methods that permit users to subscribe to a service that allows them to receive telecommunication services in return for receiving commercial messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many telecommunication business models have been developed in the past. None of them, however, include a system that enables the calling party, and the called party or conferenced parties, to receive the same or different advertisements or commercial messages simultaneously, in consideration for free telecommunication services. In addition, no prior telecommunication business models include a system where advertisers, from different countries, have access to an internet based system that allows them to submit commercial messages online and in real time that will be played for the caller and/or the called party and/or parties, depending on their interests.
Applicant believes that one of the closest references corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,150, issued to Kamel on Dec. 28, 1999 for a call processing method for delivering promotional messages. However, it differs from the present invention, because Kamel teaches an interactive voice response and call process application and system for delivering promotional messages that allows a user to select a desired number of promotional messages, which are played before a connection is established. The user may also request additional promotional messages at any time during the connection in order to extend a free or subsidized connection period provided by the system. The system monitors the connection and provides a warning tone to the user prior to the end of the free or subsidized calling period. The user may then request an additional promotional message, to extend the time period, or terminate the connection in an orderly fashion.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,531, issued to Lewis, et al. on Sep. 20, 2005 for a system and method for advertising supported communications. However, it differs from the present invention, because Lewis teaches a system and method for advertising supported communications in a telecommunications network. One method includes receiving a call request to connect a call from an originating subscriber terminal to a destination subscriber terminal. The call request includes a destination identifier such as a MIN or a PSTN telephone number associated with the destination terminal. The method further includes providing at least one advertisement to a subscriber associated with the originating terminal, determining a free calling balance for the subscriber based on the advertisements being provided to the subscriber and the destination identifier, connecting the call from the originating terminal to the destination terminal, and monitoring as well as decrementing the free calling balance as the call progresses.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,970, issued to Cai, et al. on Jul. 8, 2003 for Intelligent-networked telephone system having advertisement with bonus free phone call service. However, it differs from the present invention, because Cai teaches a telecommunications system that allows a customer to make a free telephone call after listening to a product or service advertisement. The customer reaches a product/service menu after dialing a telephone number with a special prefix reserved for Advertisement With Bonus Call (AWBC) service. The customer then chooses the advertisement of interest. After listening to the advertisement, the system allows the customer to enter a destination number for a free bonus telephone call. In an example, the bonus call is limited to a predefined duration monitored by a timer reset at the beginning of the bonus call. When the time limit is near, the system broadcasts this fact to both the calling party and the called party. At the expiration of the time limit, the call is automatically disconnected, and the customer can be returned to the AWBC product/service main menu. Charging the bonus call to the sponsor of the product/service advertisement to which the customer has listened completes the transaction.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050086104, published on Apr. 21, 2005 for Jeffrey A. McFadden and titled Delivery of advertising to telephone users. However, it differs from the present invention, because McFadden teaches advertisements that are delivered to a telephone user by detecting an interest by a user in a destination telephone number, determining a category of the destination telephone number, and providing the user an advertisement based on the category of the destination telephone number. For example, a call by a user to a destination telephone number may be detected. A database may then be consulted to determine if the destination telephone number belongs to a particular category of businesses (e.g., restaurant, movie theater, air line). If so, advertisements for similar businesses may be provided to the telephone user. This allows for delivery of relevant advertisements to telephone users.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,054, issued to Himmel, et al. on May 3, 2005 for a method and system for schedule based advertising on a mobile phone. However, it differs from the present invention, because Himmel teaches a system for implementing a method for communicating an advertisement that employs a primary call center, a mobile station, a base station, and an advertiser call center. When the mobile station is registered with the base station, the primary call center controls a transmission of one or more advertisements to the mobile station in accordance with a schedule preferred by the mobile station user with each advertisement matching a profile of the mobile station user. The mobile station user can either store the advertisement for future reference or respond to the advertisement. The response can be an acknowledgement of the advertisement or a desire to establish a communication link between the mobile station and the advertiser call center to thereby attempt a purchase of a good or a service. In response to an advertisement, the mobile station user is provided with a reward as an incentive to regularly receive advertisements.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,342 issued to Ander, et al. on Oct. 9, 2001 for Method relating to telephone communications including the transmission of advertising messages. However, it differs from the present invention, because Ander teaches a method relating to telecommunications in which the telephone of a first subscriber is connected to the telephone of a second subscriber via a standard telephone network and the call is billed to a third subscriber. The first subscriber first dials a subscriber number, preferably preceded by a prefix, which leads to the third subscriber and then dials a subscriber number that leads to the second subscriber. The telephone network connects the call to a telephone-network-connected computer unit that forwards the call to the second subscriber to connect the first subscriber with the second subscriber. The call between the first subscriber and the second subscriber is billed to the third subscriber, and advertisements are transmitted on the call connected between the first and second subscribers. When one of the first subscriber and the second subscriber enters a code or the like through the keypad of his or her telephone during an ongoing call, the computer unit senses the code, and upon sensing the code the computer unit interrupts the transmission of advertisements during the course of the call. The computer unit bills the remainder of the connected call in accordance with fixed telephone charges.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050149385, published on Jul. 7, 2005 for Martin Churchill Trively and titled a system and method for receiving and responding to promotional offers using a mobile phone. However, it differs from the present invention, because Trively teaches a method and means by which a mobile phone can participate in a promotional offer that is sponsored by an interested party. The sponsor creates a promotional campaign and defines its parameters using promotional offer code (POC) data. The POC data is then pre-provisioned into the mobile phone. If a mobile phone user becomes aware of the promotional campaign and wishes to participate, he navigates his mobile phone menu structure to a “promotions” menu and inputs a POC that was included in the sponsor's advertisements. The mobile phone then links the input POC to the pre-provisioned POC data. Another function in the mobile phone then constructs a promotional offer entry (POE) that conforms to the parameters set out in the pre-provisioned POC data. The POE is then transmitted to the sponsor. The sponsor reviews all valid entries and chooses one or more winners. The sponsor can then broadcast a status message to all entrants to inform them whether they won anything from the promotion.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20040091093, published on May 13, 2004 for Blake Bookstaff titled a method and system for providing advertising to telephone callers. However, it differs from the present invention, because Bookstaff teaches a system and method for providing one or more advertisements, services, surveys, offers for goods/services, and/or offers to modify a telephone service plan (“intercept actions” collectively) to one or more parties to a telephone call. One or more advertisements may be provided during one or more points along an unsuccessful or successful telephone call. One or more services may be provided gratuitously or in exchange for the presentation of one or more advertisements to recipient of the service. Additionally, a telephone service plan associated with the caller or callee may be analyzed and the caller/callee may be presented with the option to activate one or more service features that, at the time of the attempted call, are not activated in the telephone service plan. A survey may be provided to the caller/callee and the responses recorded. The caller/callee may also receive an offer for goods or services. These intercept actions may be provided during any of a plurality of points along a telephone call, such as prior to dialing; before, after or during a busy signal or ring tones; after one party disconnects but prior to the remaining party or parties disconnecting; and the like.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030050837, published on Mar. 13, 2003 for Do Sik Kim titled Method and system providing advertisement using tone of ringing sounds of mobile phone and commercial transaction service in association with the same. However, it differs from the present invention, because Kim teaches a method and system providing an advertisement using a tone of ringing sounds of a mobile phone terminal, and a commercial transaction service in association with the same. An advertisement is output instead of an incoming call ring sound which rings when a user of the mobile phone terminal receives the call, or for a predetermined time from start of an outgoing call which is achieved by pressing a telephone number of a called party and a SEND button for making a phone call to reception of a response signal of the called party, and a benefit bestowed to the user according to the advertisement listening or watching is spread to product purchase to thereby enhance an advertisement effect. Preferably, an advertisement or melody in the form of music, message, still images and motion images is downloaded in the mobile phone terminal and the downloaded advertisement or melody is listened to or watched instead of an incoming call sound or until a call is accomplished after a phone call has been transmitted. The number of times of listening to or watching the advertisement is counted and actual purchase on an on-line or off-line of a corresponding advertisement product of a member who has listened to or watched is deposited together with the advertisement listening or watching number of times, to thereby provide a variety of benefits such as a phone call fee reduction, a cash back, a mileage point, or a subsidy of purchase of a new terminal. Thus, the maximum advertisement effect can be heightened without having no harm to call, and service can he provided so that a benefit on purchase is bestowed to a member who listens to or watches the advertisement via a phone call fee discount and a point/mileage deposit with respect to purchase transaction on the on-line and off-line commercial transaction system.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20010012344, published on Aug. 9, 2001 for Hwang-Sub Kwon titled an advertising method and system for providing advertisement and telephone-call service. However, it differs from the present invention, because Kwon teaches an advertising method using a public telephone and a system for providing free or discounted call service according to watching of an advertisement. A public telephone, a relay server, a communication line provider, an advertiser server and an Internet information server are connected through a communication network together. The relay server receives advertisement information from the advertiser server or the Internet information server and displays advertisement information through a display device of the public telephone for advertisement. The public telephone periodically downloads renewed advertisement information from the relay server to renew it. A user is benefited by free-call or discounted-call service depending on seeing and hearing of an advertisement over a given number. The multifunctional public telephone, which is installed at an unspecified location and displays advertisements, provides advertising effect of a high level for a low price to advertisers.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,856,673, issued to Banks, et al. on Feb. 15, 2005 for Targeted advertising in a telephone dialing system. However, it differs from the present invention, because Banks teaches a system and method for providing targeted advertising to telephone callers in mid-dial. It monitors the dialing activities of a caller. When a caller enters a partial desired telephone number, an embodiment receives the partial number and determines whether an advertisement should be presented to the caller. If all of the appropriate conditions are met, a selected advertisement is transmitted to the caller's telephony device and the caller is given the opportunity to respond to the advertisement before the dialing operation completes.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.